 Poster: A snowHead
|
I have always recommended Snowcard because of their ace service when needing to claim, but also because of the trip length being up to 31 days, or you can buy cover for longer trips if you want.
I have always bought the Adventure policy but it changed in November 2013. It may have been the case previously (and it didn't matter to me then) but with the Adventure level cover you are limited to 4 weeks winter sports cover. The 31 days cover would only cover you for "other"sports covered in the policy. To get unlmited weeks winter sports you need the Extreme policy
I spotted this when I was looking to see if I was covered for dog sledding (no was the answer on the Adventure policy) and I spotted the 4 week limit....bit of a problem as I've just booked a 5th trip!
I called Snowcard and asked what constituted a "week" in winter sports terms. The answer is you get 28 days cover, so you could have e.g. 4 x 7 day trips or, say, 3 x 7 day trips plus 1 x 3 day and 1 x 4 day. The key here is the length of a trip, not how many days you ski; you could ski only 1 or 2 days but you have used x days of your winter sports cover as long as you are on that trip
What is a trip? A trip is the day you start to travel till the day you finish travelling; I knew this already and started to worry as all my trips tend to be fri/sat to Sunday, so 9 or 10 days. We went through my trips and determined that my Val d'Isere week was 10 days (7 ski days), my Flachau Xmas trip was 9 days (2 ski days) and my Flachau January trip was 10 days (6 ski days) ...oops already coming in at 29 days (but only skied for 15 days) and I still have 2 trips left this season!
Annoyingly, I had taken annual worldwide cover for me and MrHL as the next trip is to Canada and I've had to to buy the cover again! I think it would have been better to buy an extreme, worldwide policy for me (unlimited number of weeks) and 2 x single trip policies for MrHL but hey-ho.
Anyway, we priced up an upgrade to the Extreme policy and alternatively just buying 2 single trips for the rest of the season. The upgrade was cheaper because I've already paid extra to have my buggered knee covered - I would have had to pay again for the single trips...so £150 please.
On the upside I am now covered for the dog sledding!
Edit: I have had lengthy corresspondence with Russell, the owner of Snowcard, who agrees with me that a trip is a trip. As far as he is concerned a "week" is weekend to weekend, and can be anything from 6 to 10 days so driving on Fri/Sat then Sat/Sun is a "week". That makes the 28 days point moot. He is looking at how he can strengthen the descriptions, will address the training issue identified by my query, and will refund my £150 and leave the Extreme policy in place. FULL MARKS SNOWCARD 
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 9-02-14 16:25; edited 4 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Poor form - if the policy states 28 days that's what I expect - not everyone takes their skiing in nest 7 day packages like you suggest. What if I tack a weekends skiing onto a 1 week business trip - I've burnt 9 days of alllowance?
Not a ringing endorsement for a specialist ski insurer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
fatbob, yep you would have burned 9 days. I told Snowcard that the model forces people to buy far more cover than they need (Extreme level cover) and that I wouldn't be renewing next year....although I have no idea if any other compny (MPI?) would be any different?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
I think the counting the whole length of a trip, not just the days spent skiing, is pretty standard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
The key here is the length of a trip, not how many days you ski
|
one of the big advantages of the MPI brokers policy, and the reason I switched from my "Extreme" snowcard cover was that the number of days skiing is the number of days skiing, not the number of days you are swanning round the Alps shopping, picking people up in Geneva, putting your leg up because you have a swollen knee, taking it easy reading a book, going for a walk or cleaning the bathroom.
I have been in the Alps since 19 December but have not skied anything like every day. So I have X days trip length of which Y days may be spent on winter sports. Very sensible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Quote: |
I spotted this when I was looking to see if I was covered for dog sledding (no was the answer on the Adventure policy) and I spotted the 4 week limit....bit of a problem as I've just booked a 5th trip!
|
The concept that a winter sport holiday starts the minute you leave home must be wrong. People don't do holidays like that any more. For example you might be in the USA for work for a couple of weeks and decide to go skiing one day. That cannot constitute half your winter sport allowance. Ah well I suppose we should all really use Carre neige and pay as we go.
BTW max adventure says it covers dog sledding.
When I was researching travel insurance the only real contenders were snowcard and the BMC. The BMC was more expensive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So how do they know how many days/weeks you've done...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just checked ours which is Insure & Go Black, annual policy as many trips as you like of up to 90 days per trip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| fatbob wrote: |
Poor form - if the policy states 28 days that's what I expect - not everyone takes their skiing in nest 7 day packages like you suggest. What if I tack a weekends skiing onto a 1 week business trip - I've burnt 9 days of alllowance?
Not a ringing endorsement for a specialist ski insurer. |
Dogtag say
Be sure to select the number of days you need to adequately cover you for the total number of days you expect to spend participating in wintersports.
I take that to mean that if you book a standard week's holiday you will only use up 6 days of your winter sports cover - as on the travel days I won't be participating in wintersports..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[quote="johnE"]
| Quote: |
BTW max adventure says it covers dog sledding.
. |
Yebbut the max adventure still has the 4 week limit so I had to upgrade to extreme!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
pam w, sarah, bertie bassett, I'll be looking at the other options and asking the right questions for next season.
adithorp, no idea but I wouldn't run the risk trying to cheat
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
sarah, Just looking at the Insure & GO Black Policy doc it says "The following sections only apply if you have paid the appropriate premium for winter sports cover or you have arranged annual multi-trip insurance (which gives cover for 24 days within the term of your policy)" Where does it say you get as many trips as you like for winter sports?
edit found the answer. The "as many times as you like" and the" 90 days " relate only to trips that are not for winter sports, there is a footnote here http://www.insureandgo.com/travel-insurance/annual-travel-insurance.htm which says
Free winter sports cover - from 17 up to 24 days*
* Winter sports and trip duration allowance dependant on chosen policy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Dogtag say
Be sure to select the number of days you need to adequately cover you for the total number of days you expect to spend participating in wintersports.
I take that to mean that if you book a standard week's holiday you will only use up 6 days of your winter sports cover - as on the travel days I won't be participating in wintersports..
|
I think you'd need to check that with Dogtag - companies vary. I phoned MPI brokers to check that my understanding of their policy was correct.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
pam w, Now looking at MPI - I can't see where is says anything about ski days being ski days or the number of trips that you get in the annual poilcy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Direct Travel do not include the travelling as days skiing but as far as I remember they did ask for proof of lift passes for a claim.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I took out Snowcard Europe multi-trip adventure in Dec 2013. I have Version 10/2013 of the policy wording and I can't see the reference to 4 weeks/28 days limit. My schedule only mentions the single trip limit of 31 days.
Which is the bit I'm missing?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Whatever happened to snowHead perfect ski insurance 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
sarah, will you check and let us know?
Hells Bells, Interesting. my lift pass was back at the ticket office getting a refund the morning after my accident (to avoid having to claim) ..although if I had done it skiing, and if snowcard required the lift pass, then I'm sure they would have asked for it
saxo, look online. The limits are, unhelpfully, not set out in the policy. Look here http://www.snowcard.co.uk/activities-multi.php#
"Winter sports
Tobogganing
upto 4 weeks of winter sports activities – cross country, piste and slack country, pipe and park. (See, winter sports descriptions)"
boredsurfin, don't be facetious. MPI and Fog gets many recommendations as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
holidayloverxx, I don't know how to check, can't see anything in the policy doc which says it. Don't really want to ring them up and have a record of the conversation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Just goes to show it isn't really clear for most of them from the documentation etc online. With most of them relying on online purchasers do they really know what they're getting? I had several telephone conversations with MPI to sort out my annual policy with extended skiing cover. To get what I needed they referred it back to the underwriter and gave me what I was looking for at the cost of 25% loading. £161, Annual Single Europe inc trips up to 60 days inc 60 days skiing per trip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
sarah, I'll call myself if I get a chance..az a prospective customer of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
holidayloverxx, I don't think I had to send the actual pass, just the receipts from the ticket office. Ours were actually season passes, but kids weren't. I also had to send stuff for eurotunnel crossing, and hotels booked in France, which proved the lenght of our ski trip on that occasion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
holidayloverxx, thanks for flagging this up. I agree that this is rubbish. The last two christmas's we stayed out after to skiing to visit in-laws. It just doesn't make sense to include these days against an allowance. I have the Max Adventure although fortunately I only do a couple of holidays a year at the moment but I could see how people may get caught out.*
Another issue I discovered before Christmas. If you annual renewal falls in the middle of a holiday you CAN NOT simply buy an individual trip policy to cover the rest of the holiday. You CAN however renew the annual policy and it will be treated as a continual policy. Quote from customer services: "with our insurance you need to be covered for the full trip on one policy".
It's a shame as otherwise Snowcard are very good.
* I wonder if they do any tracking back. For example I go on two holidays without any problems. I go on a third holiday and have to make a claim. How are they going to know about the first two holidays?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is really annoying. For example next week's trip will be in total best part of 10 days travelling or away but only 7 skiing days (or less if there is any reason not to go out on a particular day), usually I would guess we do 9 days for 6 days skiing. So every time I go away I am losing 3 days of 'skiing allowance' in travelling, it's madness given if I wasn't skiing I have a 90 day per trip allowance.
holidayloverxx, I would be really interested if you get any answer from Insure and Go and also like Layne I am wondering how much delving they would do into previous trips?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Quote: |
For example I go on two holidays without any problems. I go on a third holiday and have to make a claim. How are they going to know about the first two holidays?
|
To start with, I expect they'll just ask you. If you lie, you're committing fraud (as I understand it - could be wrong), and could end up in a lot of trouble. If they smell a rat they'll probably be pretty thorough in their investigation as insurers are not all that keen on fraud.
But that the insurers make it so hard to work out simple things like "how many days am I covered for" is not at all helpful. I've had contradictory answers from different people at the same insurer in the past which means I now don't even know whether to believe what I'm told. Why can't they just put these things in the policy document to start with?
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
While I accept the general points being made, insurance cover is usually for all sorts of things associated with, as well as the actual skiing. Many people injure themselves in resort rather than on the mountain and you would want that risk to be covered as well. Flying to a snowy airport you might slip over in the car park walking to the coach (after all, you are wearing boots and dragging a case weighing as close to 23kg as you can get and carrying a ski bag into which you have crammed 3 pairs of skis, a snowboard and four pairs of boots  so the chance of falling over on a bit of ice is quite high). You'd want to be covered for medical care abroad in that situation even though you are "travelling" rather than "skiing".
And, as we have seen in another thread, the chances of your skis going AWOL is quite high if you travel with Flybe so you want that risk covered as well when you are travelling. It is much easier to wrap this all in one package rather than split it out into individual risks and clauses.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| holidayloverxx wrote: |
boredsurfin, don't be facetious. MPI and Fog gets many recommendations as well. |
Moi? how very dare you.
I was referring to the planned snowHeads snowSports Insurance, from 2011
| Quote: |
| "We now have snowHeads insurance ready to roll for next season" |
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1798820&highlight
The concept of which looked very promising.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
boredsurfin, we kept being promised that particular insurance you mention - but gave up waiting as nothing seemed to happen, and have been with MPI for the last three years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Tiger2, you seemed to have missed the point. It's an annual policy that covers all the normal stuff 12 months of the year. But they specify snowsports is only covered for 4 weeks and no matter how many days of any trip is for snowsports, it all counts. So If I went to visit my in laws in Germany for a month and then skied for one day, I would no longer be covered for the Snowsports aspect of the holiday. Sound right to you?
Either they should ditch the limit or have some logical means of recording the limit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| sarah wrote: |
| holidayloverxx, I would be really interested if you get any answer from Insure and Go and also like Layne I am wondering how much delving they would do into previous trips? |
I'm curious about this too. How would they know?! I'm pretty sure my insurance doesn't need to be advised when I'm going to be playing in the snow, so how could they check?
Obviously lying to an insurance company is naughty etc etc but...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Thats what I thought.
Not really relevant to me though. I only wish I could get that much skiing in. Looks like this season began and ended x-mas week for me
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| boredsurfin wrote: |
| holidayloverxx wrote: |
boredsurfin, don't be facetious. MPI and Fog gets many recommendations as well. |
Moi? how very dare you.
I was referring to the planned snowHeads snowSports Insurance, from 2011
| Quote: |
| "We now have snowHeads insurance ready to roll for next season" |
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1798820&highlight
The concept of which looked very promising. |
Ahh, sorry - now I get you
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
holidayloverxx, S'Ok apology accepted. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
fatbob, afaik the awards morphed into snivel...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Insure & Go Black Policy
24 days winter sports cover per year. ONLY ski days count. I tested the customer service person by citing a travel fri/sat, ski sun - fri, travel sat/sun scenario. Definitely 6 days from your 24 allowance he said. Then if you have used your 24 days you can ring up and buy an extension (or do it up front) to buy 31 days winter sports cover.
So Snowcard need to get with the programme....I have pointed them to this thread. Let's see if I get a response.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have general travel insurance through my bank... as far as I'm concerned my skiing 'trip' doesn't start till I'm in resort. Until then I'll rely on my normal travel insurance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
I have insurance with winter sports cover via my bank, covers off piste with a qualified instructor which is fine on my UCPA holidays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| feef wrote: |
| I have general travel insurance through my bank... as far as I'm concerned my skiing 'trip' doesn't start till I'm in resort. Until then I'll rely on my normal travel insurance. |
Yebbut, if someone has a single trip policy wth snowcard unless they start the cover on the first day of travel they will not be covered for the skiing days. I established this last year when I was buying single trip cover rather than an annual policy. you really have to be careful!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
